Here’s what you’re looking for: Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk

GROWTH STRATEGIES

Jeremy Vokt: Why Bland & Associates Said “No” to Private Equity and “Yes” to ESOPs | MOVE Like This

Employee ownership gave the firm a growth path on its own terms.

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MOVE Like This
With Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk
For CPA Trendlines

In this episode of MOVE Like This, Jeremy Vokt, managing partner at Bland & Associates, discusses the firm’s journey to becoming Nebraska’s first ESOP-owned CPA firm. Vokt shares how Bland evolved from a small 17-person firm in 2006 to a thriving 130-person business today, thanks in part to its unique blend of traditional CPA services and specialized government consulting work focused on Medicare and Medicaid compliance. 

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Vokt walks through the fundamentals of an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), explaining that it’s similar to a 401(k) but without employee contributions. Instead, employees are allocated shares annually based on their compensation, which grow in value over time through third-party valuations. This approach creates an ownership culture from day one for every employee – from the front desk to the managing partner – without the typical 15- to 20-year wait to buy into ownership. 
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GROWTH STRATEGIES

Costin, Mason: Next Gen Won’t Compromise | MOVE Like This

Prioritize belonging over optics.

This is a preview. The complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here
Sponsored by “It’s NOT Just the Numbers: How to Move Beyond the Numbers and Deliver REAL Value for Your Clients.”
by Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead. See Today’s Special Offer

Click to subscribe anywhere: Apple, Google/Youtube, Spotify, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music and Audible, Player FM, Audacy, Gaana (India), Boomplay (Africa), or RSS.

MOVE Like This
With Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk
For CPA Trendlines

In this episode of MOVE Like This, Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk speaks with Dr. Claire Costin, CPA (University of Portland), and Dr. Stephani Mason, CPA (DePaul University), two professors who are shaping the future of accounting education and research through their commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). Their insights reveal how today’s students are rethinking what it means to belong in the profession, and what employers must do to keep up. 

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Dr. Costin and Dr. Mason each bring rich, real-world experience to their roles as accounting educators. Dr. Costin’s background in nonprofit auditing informs her work at the University of Portland, where she teaches everything from auditing to ethics. Dr. Mason began her career in a Big Four firm and spent many years in financial services before transitioning to academia at DePaul University. While their career paths differ, both have shifted their research to focus on inequity, bias, and intersectionality in the accounting profession. One theme that emerged clearly in their conversation was that today’s students care deeply about inclusion, authenticity, and choosing employers who align with their values. 
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GROWTH STRATEGIES

Bailey: Communicate Culture with Clarity| MOVE Like This

As language evolves, clarity and authenticity are more important than ever.

This is a preview. The complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here
Sponsored by “It’s NOT Just the Numbers: How to Move Beyond the Numbers and Deliver REAL Value for Your Clients.”
by Penny Breslin and Damien Greathead. See Today’s Special Offer

Click to subscribe anywhere: Apple, Google/Youtube, Spotify, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music and Audible, Player FM, Audacy, Gaana (India), Boomplay (Africa), or RSS.

MOVE Like This
With Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk
For CPA Trendlines

In this episode of MOVE Like This, host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk welcomes Cass Bailey, CEO of Slice Communications, for an insightful discussion on how firms—especially those in professional services—can effectively communicate their organizational values in a way that resonates in today’s polarized environment. With deep experience in public relations, crisis management, and employee communication, Bailey offers guidance for navigating sensitive topics while maintaining alignment between internal culture and external brand.

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Bailey opens the conversation by sharing Slice Communications’ journey from a traditional PR firm into a strategic communications agency. Today, her team helps businesses manage both their public reputation and internal messaging, especially when facing scrutiny around workforce practices and company culture.
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GROWTH STRATEGIES

Wallace: Cracking the Code on Inclusion | MOVE Like This

“You can have inclusion without belonging, but it’s not going to stick. People need to feel they matter.”

This is a preview. The complete 1-hour video episode, with commentary and transcript, is first available exclusively to PRO Members | Go PRO here

Click to subscribe anywhere: Apple, Google/Youtube, Spotify, iHeart, Deezer, Amazon Music and Audible, Player FM, Audacy, Gaana (India), Boomplay (Africa), or RSS.

MOVE Like This
With Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk
For CPA Trendlines

In this episode of?MOVE Like This, host Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk talks with Jim Wallace, CEO of BPM, about how the firm has embedded diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) into the core of its culture and strategy. With more than 40 years in public accounting, Jim shares candid insights into how BPM went beyond the “check the box” approach to DEIB by making it a CEO-led initiative from the start. 

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Wallace explains that BPM’s brand promise, “Because People Matter,” isn’t just a slogan, but a foundational principle that informs every part of the firm’s operations, from leadership development to firm-wide engagement. DEIB is not treated as a standalone initiative; it’s part of the firm’s strategic plan and embedded in its values, mission, and even metrics. For example, BPM uses colleague engagement surveys to track employee sentiment, finding that 82% of employees feel they can bring their authentic selves to work. These insights drive changes in programming and support for staff. 
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GROWTH STRATEGIES

Angela Oakley: Right Coaching Fuels Engagement | MOVE Like This

“When people see their strengths clearly for the first time, they feel seen, and that changes everything.”

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MOVE Like This
With Bonnie Buol Ruszczyk
For CPA Trendlines

At Clark Nuber, developing talent is more than a bullet point on a strategic plan; it’s woven into the fabric of how the firm operates. Angela Oakley, director of the firm’s Talent Advisor Program, sits down with the Move Like This podcast to share how her team has successfully embedded the CliftonStrengths assessment into nearly every phase of the employee life cycle. From onboarding to performance conversations, strengths-based coaching has become a core tool for helping individuals grow and for building stronger, more connected teams.

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Oakley describes how the initiative began in 2016, after one of the tax teams had already explored strengths to improve internal collaboration. That early success, along with a culture already committed to learning and people-first leadership, laid the foundation for broader adoption. With support from key influencers and her own certification in the assessment tool, Oakley began integrating CliftonStrengths into the firm’s coaching framework, building buy-in organically, one conversation at a time. READ MORE →